TN: 1/9/19 dinner with Magnums of 9 to celebrate the start of 2019

NDG: 9/1/19 DINNER WITH MAGNUMS OF 9 TO CELEBRATE THE START OF 2019 - Imperial Treasure Teochew, Ion (9/1/2019)

First dinner of 2019 with NDG. Theme was wines ending with Number 9 in their vintage. We did magnums this time, each shared by two people, rather than a plethora of single bottles. Only the DRC and d’Yquem came in 750ml. I missed the variety, but enjoyed having more than a glass of each wine to savour.
WHITES

  • 1989 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Grand Cru D.T. Non Dosé Avize - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
    From a magnum disgorged in 2004, this was very pleasant and drinking quite well now. I liked the nose - gentle but insistent, with lovely draws of ripe lemons, yeast and flinty mineral, and just that kiss of white flowers at the edge of the bouquet. This smelt like something quite a bit younger, with only an edge of tertiary earthiness hinting at its maturity. A result of the zero dosage I think - hence no biscuity, nutty, caramel tones even at its age. The palate was impressive, full of quiet strength in its white fruit and mineral character pulled along on a beautiful, sinewy stream of bright, lemony acidity and fine-beaded mousse into a long stony finish. There was a generosity to the fruit, yet a backbone of lovely purity and laser-like precision. It still showed ever so youthfully though, with a real sense of energy and tension at its core - it actually took quite a bit of time to open up. Very good, but will get even better, but the zero dosage really comes out in the style. This is a world away from an Krug or Dom Perignon. (93 pts.)
  • 1989 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
    Enjoyable. A bit of slow start, coming across a bit tired at first, even in magnum, but this grew with time. It had a nice bouquet of ripe apples, a touch of honey, some nuttiness, and just a hint of spice. A nice old Burg nose. The palate was a bit diffused initially, but grew into a lovely package, with delicious flavours of bruised apple and honey, some toffee on the mid palate, all leading into a nice, spicy, nutty finish. From a magnum, this was lovely mature stuff, soft, round and ready, and still really enjoyable. Drink now though. (92 pts.)

1979 BORDEAUX

  • 1979 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
    En Magnum. A bit dusty, with just a suggestion of TCA. Still enjoyable enough, but way behind the 1979 Latour that we had alongside. The nose was smoky and dusty, with a tiny bit of cardboard drifting in and out, and then nicer notes of plums and cassis and a drift of those typical Margaux florals somewhere in there. The palate had a nice juiciness, with ripe, powdery tannins and a decent bit of acidity framing notes of dark cherry, plums and cassis seasoned with a touch of tobacco smoke and spice. Enjoyable enough, but lacking a bit of first growth oomph. Finish felt a bit truncated as well. A decently enjoyable wine, but not a great Margaux. (91 pts.)
  • 1979 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
    Lovely. Served in a magnum - this was not the greatest Latour by any stretch of the imagination, but this was a really, really solid 1979 Bordeaux. The nose was classic Pauillac, with lovely masculine drifts of truffley earth, meat, cassis, a ring of tobacco smoke and bits of pencil lead. Really nice. The palate was round and velvety, with shades of juicy cassis patted down in a lovely bed of earth and meat and pencil lead, tons of mushroomy flavours - ceps I thought - all this couched in beautifully integrated acidity and soft tannins. Wonderful balance, lovely easy depth, and a wonderfully detailed finish kissed with notes of spice and earth, all made for a lovely drink. Really emjoyable stuff, probably at peak. (93 pts.)

1999 BURGUNDY

  • 1999 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
    En Magnum. Very enjoyable indeed. The nose was typical Meo in its lush, attractive notes of blue berries, earth and spice. I wonder if there was a tint of TCA in there, but if at all, it was light. The palate had a lovely rich depth to it, with layers of blueberries and darker fruit seasoned with a little bit of spice and earth and just that hint of violets. Good solid finish too - round and voluptuous, I would not have recognised this as an NSG blind. Very good though. A very complete wine, drinking wonderfully now. (93 pts.)
  • 1999 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
    Wow - this was a really good Lambrays. I loved the nose, with its wafts of spice and earth, herb and floral stalks, all drifting around a core of blueberry fruit. The palate has a lovely open feel to it, with fresh acidity and fine, almost silky tannins framing delicious flavours of blueberries and black cherries, and then a full midpalate lined with seams of earth and spice. It was soft, rich and yummy, yet impeccably balanced and nicely focused, all the way into a nicely long finish. Lots of Grand Cru depth here, which is not always something one can say about a Clos des Lambrays, yet it was also pure and transparent, with a effortless grace to it. A Clos des Lambrays par excellence then, without any hint of rusticity at all. From a magnum, it was absolutely lovely and drinking well now. (94 pts.)
  • 1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault-Blochet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
    Enjoyable. Quite a bit better than the last time I had it actually. The nose had a lifted melange of red cherries, fragrant spice, a dash of herb, a bit of mint, all drifting out of the glass in a pretty bouquet. The palate still felt a touch thinner than either the 1999 Meo NSG Murgers or the Clos des Lambrays on the same flight, but it was delicious in its own right, with fresh, round flavours of red cherries, wild berries, and then spice, earth and just a chew of fine tannins moving into a long finish. Really nice. It does not pretend to be a Grand Cru, but it was really a solid, delicious drink. (93 pts.)

SWEET

  • 1986 Château d’Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    Lovely - I liked this more than the last time I had it some 9 years back. What an attractive nose this had, with reams of dried stone fruit, preserved kumquats, floral drifts, a shoot of glycerol, and then just a little touch of that d’Yquem coconut. The palate had a lovely sense of balance and poise to it, with lovely gobs of honeyed stone fruit, a hint of caramel, burnt butter, all this slowing unfolding in the mouth in a lovely graceful glide into a long gently spicy, stone fruited finish. I somehow did not get that same feel of slight lack-of-depth that I got in the last bottle. This was sticky, persistent, deep, yet effortless. Beautiful stuff, still really young and energetic as well. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Nice idea and nice notes! Thanks!

Great notes on some fine wines.
1999 Lambrays is one of a handful of wines that turned me to Burgundy about 10 years ago.
Fantastic wine that will always be a benchmark for me in its own way.
Nice job here!